HARRY Kane’s controversial statue was not put up for safety reasons after fears it could lead to deaths.
A statue of England captain was not installed at a Transport for London (TfL) railway station because it risked “distracting train drivers”, officials have revealed.
The project was commissioned by Waltham Forest Council in 2019, which spent more than £7,000 on the artwork.
But the England striker’s effigy still has no permanent home five years later.
Depicting a life-sized Kane sitting on a bench, it had initially been planned to live at Chingford Overground Station, where the striker was brought up.
Following a risk assessment by Transport for London, however, the plan was thwarted.
A TfL freedom of information case officer said: “Discussions with the Operations Team of Arriva Rail London – who operate the London Overground on behalf of Transport for London – around the proposal to locate the statue on the platform behind the buffer stops were high level and started in January of this year.
“After initial feedback the proposal was not progressed.
“A detailed assessment of the risks of locating the statue on the platform was not undertaken, therefore we do not hold this information.”
They added: “Initial concerns that were fed back related to the risk that having the statue in proximity to the buffer stops could cause a distraction to train drivers as they approach the terminal (dead-end) platforms at Chingford.
“The main distraction issue was not concerned with the statue, but the actions of persons around it, including posing for photographs on/next to it, hanging items on it such as scarfs, etc.
“Had the discussions progressed further, this would have led to the commissioning of a formal safety validation workstream, including hazard identifications and a risk assessment, but a further proposal was then made to relocate the statue off station premises at Chingford, negating the requirement for commissioning of a safety validation.”
Other potential locations, according to The Guardian, had included Chingford Rail Station and Ridgeway Park, which is where Walthamstow-born Kane played football as a youngster.
The images, first obtained by the Big Issue, show a metallic Kane sitting on a green bench and holding a football on his thigh with his left hand.
England’s record goalscorer, who now plays for Bayern Munich after moving from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, is said to have been positive about the statue.
In February, his representatives were quoted as saying they “will be happy to go” to unveil the artwork once the location has been decided.
Kane has led the Three Lions to Germany as they prepare to kick off their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.
Every member of the squad was then presented with a box containing a special shirt to be worn in the tournament.
It also featured the history of the number they would be wearing and a personalised reminder of how they fell in love with the game as youngsters.
Kane’s included a picture of him as a boy with the Ridgeway Rovers Football Club logo — and the words, “Harry Kane: All time goalscorer”.
But a permanent home for the statue remains undetermined.
The pictures, reportedly sent to the council by Sculpture Machine, have caused a stir on social media.
Some questioned whether a footballer should be sitting on a bench in this way and others poking fun at its chocolate appearance.
Prince William, who is an Aston Villa fan, plans to travel to Germany to watch the Three Lions when they take on Serbia, Denmark and Slovenia in Group C.
Those selected to shoulder the nation’s hopes of winning a first major international tournament since 1966 met up at St. George’s Park on Sunday.
And on Monday afternoon they landed in Germany as they headed to their five-star Golfresort Weimarer Land base camp, near the town of Blankenhain which the FA have reportedly paid £800,000 for.
England kick off their tournament on Sunday June 16 against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen.
The Three Lions will then play Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20, before their final group game against Slovenia in Cologne on June 25.
Since their strong qualifying campaign ended in November, England have not been in ideal form going into the tournament.
March saw England lose 1-0 to Brazil and draw 2-2 to Belgium.
England then landed their first win of 2024 against Bosnia Herzegovina on June 3 with a 3-0 victory, before being stunned 1-0 by Iceland last Friday.
